Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-30

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A family member is coming to stay with you. He/she will be arriving by train in the morning, but you won’t be home until the evening.

• explain arrangements you have made for them to have keys and get into the house

• tell your relative how to get from the train station to your house

• say when you will be home and suggest what you could do together that evening

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Sarah,

I’m glad that you're coming over my place by train. It is one of the most convenient ways to travel. I believe you would arrive here in Regina by 11:30 AM but I won't be able to pick you up as I would be at work by the time you arrive here. You don't have to worry as I already made all the arrangements. One of my friends will pick you up who stays with me. You just relax yourself once you get home. You don't have to wait until I got home to eat as your food is already ready on the table. I know, it's been 7 hours journey pretty long and you will be extremely exhausted. So you try to take rest and I will be home by 5:30PM. Then we will go out for supper and show you our nice neighbourhood.

I’ll catch you up soon. You have a nice journey.

Best Wishes

Pooki

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the main situation and give useful information about your arrival time, the meal, and a possible evening outing. However, the task asks for arrangements for getting the keys and entering the house, and this is not explained clearly: “One of my friends will pick you up who stays with me” suggests help with transport, but does not say whether the friend will give Sarah a key or let her in. Directions from the station to your home are also missing. The plan to go for supper and see the neighbourhood is relevant, but the arrangements are therefore only partly covered and some ideas remain under-developed. State exactly who will provide access, then give a simple route from the station.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a generally understandable sequence: you introduce the visit, explain that you will be at work, describe what Sarah can do at home, and finish with evening plans. Linking words such as “as,” “So,” and “Then” help connect events. However, the information is presented in one long paragraph, so the key arrangements are not easy to locate, and the transition from being picked up to getting into the house is unclear. Some connections also feel mechanical, particularly “So you try to take rest.” Use separate paragraphs for arrival/access, directions, and evening plans, and make references such as “who stays with me” more explicit so the reader can follow the arrangements without guessing.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a personal letter, including “convenient,” “arrangements,” “exhausted,” and “neighbourhood.” These choices communicate the situation clearly, and the friendly tone is appropriate. There are, however, several imprecise or unnatural expressions: “coming over my place,” “relax yourself,” “7 hours journey,” and “catch you up soon.” These do not prevent understanding, but they show some inaccuracy in word choice and collocation. Aim for more natural phrases such as “coming to stay at my place,” “make yourself comfortable,” “a seven-hour journey,” and “see you soon.” More precise vocabulary for access and directions would also help fulfil the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “as,” “once,” and “who,” and most of the message remains easy to understand. Some grammatical errors are present, but they rarely obscure your meaning. For example, “I’m glad that you're coming over my place” needs a different preposition and article, while “I believe you would arrive” is less suitable than a direct future form for a planned arrival. In “You don't have to wait until I got home,” the tense should be consistent with the future situation. Review articles, prepositions, and tense choices, and break up longer sentences such as the one beginning “You don't have to worry” to improve control and readability.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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